


escape

by covellite



Series: ARFOV [12]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Gen, M/M, Mentions of Violence, mentions of human trafficking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28106955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/covellite/pseuds/covellite
Summary: Zedaph wasn't expecting Tango to make good of his promises, but it seems for once in his life, things might finally be looking up for Zedaph.
Relationships: Tango Tek & Zedaph (Video Blogging RPF), Tango Tek/Zedaph (implied)
Series: ARFOV [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059134
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	escape

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Blood Stained Carpet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834241) by [Fabulous_Fan_Fables](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabulous_Fan_Fables/pseuds/Fabulous_Fan_Fables). 



Tango had promised he’d come back for Zedaph, and Zedaph had believed him, but when he woke up that night back in his bed, bites and scratches carefully cleaned and bandaged by Madame’s doctors, it was easy to tell himself Tango had lied. What reason did Tango have to help  _ him _ , a random human? He knew what kind of vampire Tango was, after all. He might have expressed regret for hurting Zedaph, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d done it. That he’d actively sought out a bloodbag. As the days went on with no sign of Tango, Zedaph became increasingly convinced Tango’s words were nothing but him trying to make himself feel better about his actions. He wouldn’t be the first to do something like that.

Two weeks after Tango’s appointment, Zedaph was sitting at his desk reading a book when he heard an unfamiliar pair of footsteps making their way down the hall that led to Zedaph’s room. The person paused in front of his door and gently tapped at it.

“Hello?” they said. “Is anyone in there?”

Zedaph’s traitorous heart thrilled as he recognized the voice. “Tango?”

“Zedaph?” The doorknob twisted partway, then stuck. Tango was quiet for a moment. “She locks you in here?”

Zedaph had an excuse for why the door was locked. She’d told him it was for his own safety, to protect him from any intruders. In the beginning he’d even believed her. He was supposed to tell anyone who asked that he chose to have it locked.

“Yeah, she does,” he said instead.

“Hold on. I got this,” Tango said. Several long, tense seconds passed, and then the door swung open. Tango, just as tall and handsome as Zedaph remembered, leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed loosely.

Tango was clearly trying to seem cool, but the moment Zedaph made eye contact with him he turned away, biting his lip and shuffling his feet.

“You should pack,” he said. “It’ll be a long walk to X’s place.”

“We’re really leaving?”

Tango looked at him. “Don’t you want to?”

“I just thought-” Zedaph cut himself off. “Never mind. What should I bring?”

“Clothes, I guess. Whatever you can fit in a backpack. I brought one for you.” Tango shrugged a backpack off his shoulder and handed it to Zedaph.

“How long a walk is it?”

“I don’t know. It’d be at least a week for a vampire on their own. But you need to sleep and stuff, so probably longer. Maybe a month. Or more.”

Zedaph considered that as he packed his few clothes into the backpack. A month alone with a man who was practically a stranger, a man who had attacked him the first time they’d met. A man who he’d forced into attacking him. Not exactly the healthiest way to start a friendship, even Zedaph knew that, even if he felt no ill will towards Tango. He’d stopped hating the people who hurt him long ago. That much negativity would have killed him, he’s sure of it.

He finished packing up the few belongings he cared to bring, just some clothes and his favorite book, and stood. Tango gestured to the open door. “Ready?” he asked. Zedaph took a step toward the door, then froze as his mind came to a possibility he should’ve considered much, much sooner.

“Is this,” Zedaph started, mentally cursing when his voice caught. “This isn’t some sort of trap, is it?”

“What?” Tango wrinkled his nose. “Trap?” His eyes widened. “Oh. No! This is- what kind of ridiculous, stupid trap would this even be?”

“This wouldn’t be the first time she’s done something like this.”

Tango’s eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. “I don’t play games like that.” He muttered something under his breath too low for Zedaph to understand, then pushed away from the doorframe and into the hall. “If you’re ready, we should go.”

Zedaph followed him down the hall, wincing at every loud step Tango made. “Won’t we get caught?” he whispered. Tango looked at him over his shoulder.

“By who?” he asked at normal volume.

“Madame. Or one of the others, if they’re around.”

Tango scoffed. “She’s not a problem. I took care of that.”

“What do you mean?”

Tango didn’t answer. Zedaph grabbed onto his arm, making Tango stumble to a stop.

“What do you mean?” he repeated. Tango grit his teeth.

“I made sure Mercy can’t hurt anyone again.”

Tango’s arm fell out of Zedaph’s grasp. “What did you  _ do _ ?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Yes, I do,” Zedaph insisted. “Please. Did you-”

“She’s dead,” Tango said flatly.

Zedaph wasn’t sure if the sound he made was a gasp or a sob. “Really?”

“Really.” Tango looked around the hallway, then gently tugged on Zedaph’s sleeve. “But we should get out of here before anyone else shows up.”

As they walked past the sitting room, Tango told him not to look inside. He did anyway. The sight of Madame’s lifeless body slumped over on the couch was no surprise, but Zedaph knew it would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life. She had been so commanding in life; to see her so powerless in death was almost pitiful. Almost. He could hardly believe she’d controlled him for so many years.

Tango didn’t let him linger on the sitting room, for which Zedaph was grateful. He watched Zedaph with concern as they left the house, but Zedaph was too caught up in looking around to care. He’d been outside the house plenty of times, but there had never been time to look around. There wasn’t any time now either, probably, but Zedaph figured Tango could wait an extra minute.

“Haven’t you been outside?” Tango asked. “Yeah, you have. I know you have. How else would you get from the house to… your appointments.”

“I was never allowed to just stand here and admire the world.” The cool morning air cleared some of the fuzz from his brain that had been there since he first agreed to live with Madame, and Zedaph grinned at Tango, who looked vaguely alarmed. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome?” Tango smiled back, all sharp teeth but somehow Zedaph didn’t feel threatened. “You ready to keep going? You’ll have plenty of time to stare at trees and stuff on our way to X’s.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Zedaph held out a hand, and Tango slowly took it.

“It’ll be a long journey,” he said. “And I might be the only person you see for the entire time. Are you sure you’re ready?”

The more logical part of Zedaph wanted to point out that he didn’t really have any other option. He could go sit back in his room and pretend like he had no idea what happened, but at best he’d end up someone else’s bloodbag. Most likely he’d just end up dead. The less logical part of Zedaph, the more fanciful side of him, was delighted that Tango asked at all.

“I’m sure,” he said.


End file.
